Nerdy as I am, it shouldn’t surprise you that I love Dragonball. Currently, I’m wrapped up in the Tournament of Power story arc in Dragonball Super. Two universes have already been erased and more are sure to follow. So who are the most powerful warriors?

1. Jiren

No surprise here. We’ve seen this guy in action, so we know he is on a completely different level. He beat X20 Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken Goku with ease. Meanwhile, the other fighters can’t even touch him. We don’t know much about Jiren’s background, but his power seems to surpass even that of a God of Destruction.

2. Goku

With Super Saiyan Blue and Kaio-ken in his arsenal, Goku can handle just about everyone. And just like Jiren, when Goku is in his Ultra-Instinct form, he is in a league of his own. He was even able to take on Jiren in a legitimate fight. It wasn’t until Goku used up all the energy he absorbed from Universe 7 Spirit Bomb that Jiren was able to beat him.

For now, it’s unclear whether Goku can regain Ultra-Instinct. Regardless, he remains the second best fighter without it.

3. Frieza

Previously, we’ve seen Frieza lose to Goku and Vegeta, even despite using his Golden Form. At the time, Frieza just didn’t have control over the new form and soon lost stamina. But, after mental training in Hell, Frieza has learn to control his Golden Form without much, if any, negative side effects. Having gained this control, Frieza proved himself strong enough to compress an Energy of Destruction sphere. And in a fight against each other, Goku and Frieza evenly matched each other by KOing each other at the same time.

Moreover, it makes sense for the story arc. Jiren may be the biggest threat to Universe 7, but there aren’t any bad guys in the story. Everyone is fighting for survival. As cool as it is, it’s so one-dimensional. Frieza shakes up the story with his schemes and his cunning. I think we’ll see much more of him.

4. Toppo

Toppo is without a doubt the second best fighter of Universe 11, second of course to Jiren. However, we haven’t seen him fight much against anyone important. Vegeta challenged him to a fight, but since that fight hasn’t happened yet, I can only guess. Either way, I’m going out on a limb and listing Toppo as number 3.

When Toppo fought Goku before the Tournament of Power, the fight ended prematurely. Goku seemed to get the upper hand before the Great Priest stopped them. But both Toppo and Goku claimed they weren’t sure if they would’ve won the fight. Since then, Goku has progressed beyond Toppo. Nonetheless, Toppo shouldn’t be underestimated. In fact, he’s actually a candidate to be Universe 11’s next God of Destruction.

5. Vegeta

Honestly, it hurts me to put Vegeta so low. For as long as I can remember, Goku and Vegeta have been each other’s equal. Their friendly rivalry has fueled each other’s training and will to improve. But Goku has just left Vegeta in the dirt. While Vegeta can also turn Super Saiyan Blue, he hasn’t ever used Kaio-ken, which allows Goku to multiply his power level by a factor of 20. Not to mention, Vegeta hasn’t even accessed an Ultra Instinct Form before.

Had Toppo and Goku finished their fight, I believe Goku would’ve won. Even so, Goku needed to use Kaio-ken to fight Toppo. If Vegeta can’t use that technique, I don’t see how he can match Toppo. It will be one hell of a fight, but I think it’s a fight Vegeta will lose.

6. Gohan

There was a time, perhaps in the Buu arc, when Gohan was even stronger than Goku. Sadly, he left martial arts to pursue scholarly endeavors. As a result, his power faded. It was only recently that Gohan trained to regain his former power. No longer is he as strong as his father, but he may be stronger than ever.

What makes Gohan such a worthy competitor, though, is not his strength, but his smarts. Only once he learns an enemy’s strengths and weaknesses does he attack. Most fighters use brute force or rely on special attacks. With a little analysis, Gohan turns such attacks back on their users. Having said that, smarts can only take Gohan so far.

7. Dyspo

Sure, we haven’t seen this purple rabbit do too much. But he is one of the quickest fighters on the battlefield. You can’t hit what you can’t catch. His speed even gave Hit a run for his money.

Dyspo is too overconfident though. As a result, he assumes victory too soon and lets others get the best of him before the fight is over. We saw it in his fight with Hit and I’m sure we’ll see it again. My guess is that Dyspo will fight Gohan. While Dyspo may be faster and stronger, Gohan’s intelligence will allow him to overcome the difference.

8. Kale

This might seem an odd pick. Kale lacks control, experience, and confidence. On most occasions, she seems so shy and frail that it’s downright annoying. But we’ve seen her in her Berserker Super Saiyan form. We know she’s powerful, perhaps even more powerful than Caulifla. Regardless, the two friends are improving rapidly. In just a short time, they’ve managed to go Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2.

What sets her apart though? All of her weaknesses. When she feels weak and scared, Kale hides. That makes her less likely to rush into a fight she’s not ready for, which leads me to…

9. Caulifla

Although she may be as strong as Kale, she’s just too rash. Like a female Goku, Caulifla is so eager to improve herself that she challenges opponents she just can’t handle. Her motivation is her greatest strength, but also her greatest weakness. In the end, it will be her downfall.

10. Everyone Else

In terms of main characters, there are the other Universe 7 fighters and Ribrianne. Ribrianne is a joke, who puts up just enough fight to get a laugh when someone comes and destroys her in one hit. As for the Universe 7 fighters, they’re just nowhere near the others. Android 17 fought Super Saiyan Blue Goku, so that means he should be higher in the rankings. But honestly, his appearance in the series came out of nowhere and I think the writers just wanted to make him seem relevant and remotely helpful in the tournament.

It’s only a matter of time before all of these people are eliminated, but if you want a further ranking here it is: 10. Android 17, 11. Ribrianne, 12. Android 18, 13. Piccolo.